Starting-valve mechanism.



S. KNEASS.

snmms VALVE MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 22, I917. 1,300,280, Patented Apr. 15, 1919.

s/r/fi/ano l. 27:56am:

ATTQRIYEX E 4 m m W h d a n/ WM Nev 2 I I n W/ Z. :r s e, w zfl f .0 Il: II a, Ill. I .m I m a I m w W/4\ K. I

I a I PV/T/VESS STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STRICKLAND L. KNEASS, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WILLIAM SELLERS & COMPANY, INCORPORATED, 013 PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A COR- IPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

STARTING-VALVE MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 15, 1919.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, STRICKLAND L. Knnass, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Starting-Valve Mechanism, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

It is an object of my invention to provide a safe operating partly balanced valve, which cannot be opened by jarring and vibration when under pressure, and it is a further object to rovide means whereby the opening of the va ve and the amount of flow of fluid throu h its port can be regulated.

It is applicab e chiefly to the operation of the non-lifting form of steam in]ector upon locomotives, rendering the starting and stopping of the feed especially convenient, besides permitting a regulation of the flow of steam, permitting a higher economy and efficiency in its operation, reducing at the will of the operator the weight of the steam used in proportionto the amount of feed to the boiler.

My invention also permits admission of a very small amount of steam when it is desired to use the injector as a heater for the water in the tender supply tank, and this is done without the use of supplemental external valves or without danger of wear or abrasion of the faces or seats of the operating valve.

My invention also includes the use of two or more loosely guided check valves in the same axial line with seats normal to their axes, the face of each valve being of the same external and internal dimensions as the seat upon which it rests, so that the clearance between the guides for the valve and the valves themselves permit a small amount of lateral change of position, causing a selfgrinding action between valve seats and the valve faces which tends to retaintheir normal steam tight condition and materially increases the durability and effectiveness of the device.

My invention also includes 0 )erating means, consisting of a. hand lever, link and attachments which may be rotated upon a vertical axis to any position desired by the operator, and then locked in position; this enables the extended part of the valve casing to be placed close to a locomotive boiler and in the transverse plane of the conducting steam pipe and the operating lever and means, so placed as to minimize the amount of space required in the locomotive cab.

The figure illustrated shows the invention partly in sectional elevation.

The inlet passage b and the discharge passage c of the casing a are separated by a septum or partition a which is provided with the port d permitting communication between the passages. The inlet and discharge passages are provided with theports c and 1 respectively, for connection with a steam line.

Adjacent to the port d is the valve seat 9 upon which the malt. alve h is adapted to seat. The main valve 71- is bored centrally and provided on its top with the valve seat Z, upon which is adapted to seat the head 7' of the secondary valve. The valve h is provided with wings la affording ports permitting communication between the central bore of the main valve and the discharge passage. The secondary valve j is provided with the upwardly extending stem m adapted, when the valve is raised, to act as a stop on contacting with the valve, cap a.

Below the head j of the secondary valve, the body 0 of the secondary valve fits loosely within the central bore of the main valve h. The body 0, except for a short distance immediately below the head j. is cut away to permit con'mninication from the central bore to the discharge passage between the wings k. The main valve is counterbored at Z for a short. distance below its upper end. the width of the solid part of the valve body 0 being slightly greater than the depth of the counterbore.

The lifting stem 3) extends through the stuffing box I in the lowerpart ot' the casing and upward, through the discharge passage, into the central bore of the main valve hto contact with the-lower end of the secondary valve. The part of the stem 7) which extends into the bore in the main valve is reduced to be a loose fit therein and affording a shoulder 1*, so that when the stem 77 is lifted hevond the distance required to fully open the secondary valve the shoulder will contact flow of steam a, which automatically with the main valve and raise it from its seat. To the lower end of the stem 12 is pivoted one end of the link 8, the other end being pivoted to the arm t of the bell crank lever to. The lever 14 is pivoted to the bracket 4) which, in turn, is attached to an extension of the casing by means of the ring w, and is rotatable about the axis of the annular bearing 5 onto which the ring is fitted and is locked in radial position by the nut w. The bracket 1) also carries the notched quadrant 3 the notches of which are adapted to be engaged by the pawl 2 carried by the lever. The pawl is maintained in locking position by the rod 2 and spring 3; and is released by pressure on the button 4.

The operation is as follows: 7

Steam enters at e and filling passage Z2 exerts downward pressure upon the upper face of the main valve and the secondary valve, holding them firmly to their seats, so that there shall be no flow through the discharge passage 0. When the operating lever u is pulled downward, the arm 6 and link 8 cause an upward movement of the stem p, causing it to exert a lifting action upon the winged extension 0 of the secondary'valve. When the secondary valve is lifted, steam flows through the central opening of the main valve it into the discharge passage 0 and through the connecting pipes to the injector or other operated device. The fluid pressure within this. passage and connecting pipes gradually rises in proportion to the effective areas of the opening controlled by the secondary valve and the terminal discharge opening. This accumulation of pressure beneath the main valve partly balances the pressure of the fluid upon the upper face of the main valve, and permits it to be opened without undue eflort when the lever u is pulled outward, for the further upward movement of the lifting stem p gives contact between its enlarged diameter and the cylindrical guide of the winged extension of the main valve 71., lifting the main valve from its seat, permitting full or required through the port of the valve.

When the secondary valve or main valve, or both, are lifted, the pressure of the fluid exerts pressure upon the lifting stem 32 to force it outwardly from the valve casing and return the valves and operating lever to their closed positions. This action is prevented and the several valves retained in their desired positions by means of the pawl looks into the notched quadrant 3 It will be observed thata series of notches is provided so that the valves may be retained in any intermediate point between their open and closed positions.

It is frequently desirable that a small amount of steam be ermitted to flow through an operating va ve, for example, to heat the feed water supply. For this purthe main valve bore,

a lifting stein in the pose, the lever u is pulled (say) one notch, slightly opening the secondary valve 7', admitting steam, which passes between the central bore of the valve h and'the loose fitting body of the secondary valve, and the ports between the wings 7c of the valve it into the discharge passage. The solid part of the valve body 0 below its head j disposes the throttling area away from the contact face of the secondary valve and its seat and prevents'wear or abrasion of these surfaces, due to the rapid flow of the steam from the high to the low pressure areas.

Having now fully described my invention, what I desire to claim and protect by Letters Patent is:

1. Valve mechanism comprising a valve casing having inlet and outlet passages, a septum separating said passages and rovided with a port, a main valve seate on the septum, a secondary valve of lesser area seated upon the main valve, the main valve having a bore and a counterbore and the secondary valve having a head and a solid cylindrical extension, the latter being of greater length than said counterbore, wherey, when the secondary valve is partly opened to aiford a restricted passage for steam between its cylindrical extension and attrition of both the face of and seat for the secondary valve will be prevented. I

2. Starting valve mechanism comprising a valve casing having inlet and outlet passages, a septum separating said passages and provided with av port, a main valve seated on the septum, a secondary valve of lesser area seated upon'the main valve, each valve adapted to be returned to its seat after ing opened and to be held thereon'by fluid pressure, the 'main valve having a central bore and the secondary valve having a body loosely fitting the bore and a head of larger diameter the lower face of which is adapted when the secondary valve is closed to seat upon the upper face of the main valve sur rounding its bore, the body .of the secondary valve being solid for a relatively short distance from its head and thence cut away and the central bore of the main valve being oounterbored from its upper end for a distance somewhat less than the length of the solid part of the body of the secondary valve.

3. Starting valve mechanism comprising a valve casing provided with inlet and outlet passage's, a main valve and a. secondary valve held to their respective seats by fluid pressure, said secondary valve being movable to positions to 'allow either a relatively restricted or a relatively free passage of steam, discharge passage, an operatinglever adapted to lift said stem to lift the secondary valve successively into its throttling position and its more fully open position and then lift the primary valve from its seat, and means to hold said stem and its actuating lever in partially and fully advanced positions.

4:. Starting valve mechanism comprising a valve casing having inlet and outlet passa es, two check valves opening independently and held to their respective seats by fluid pressure, one of said valves having a bore, a lifting stem in the discharge passage, and means to raise said lifting stem to suecessively operate said valves, said lifting steni' extending into, and having a loose-fit in, said bore to allow free and unrestricted seating and alinement of the valves.

5. Starting valve mechanism comprising a valve casing having inlet and outlet passages, a main valve having a boreand. a secondary valve operating independently and held to their respective seats by fluid pressure, a lifting stem in the discharge passage, and means to raise said lifting stem to suecessively operate the secondary valve and the main valve, said liftin stem extending into, and having a loose t in, the bore of the main'valve, and the body of the secondary valve fitting loosely Within the bore of the main valve.

In testimony of which invention, I have hereunto set my hand, at Philadelphia, on this 19th day of May, 1917.

STRICKLAND L. KNEAS-S. 

